Classes started on Monday, kicking off NCCC’s 58th year with 878 matriculated students on opening day. This number is shifting though, as college officials say the first week usually has some late-arrival students and people dropping out. Non-matriculated students push that number over 900. The prison education program the college runs at local prisons has not started its semester yet.

Enrollment is up 7% compared to the opening day of the Fall 2024 semester. Full-time equivalent enrollment in the 2010s had been up near 900. This dropped significantly into the 600s during the pandemic and the college has been building back up ever since.

This semester’s numbers show a near-full rebound post-pandemic. The residence halls on the Saranac Lake campus are full, with an active waiting list in place, and both the men’s and women’s soccer teams have full rosters.

NCCC has three campuses — Malone, Saranac Lake and Ticonderoga. It also runs classes at correctional facilities in Ray Brook and Malone as part of the Second Chance Pell program. It offers 30 degree and certificate programs.

From left, Eva Timmer, and twin sisters Callie and Caitlin Drake, all from the Moriah area, move into their residence hall on the Saranac Lake campus of North Country Community College on Aug. 21. Also pictured is Callie and Caitlin’s dad John Drake. (Provided photo — Chris Knight)

Earlier this month, when talking about the projected enrollment numbers, NCCC President Joe Keegan said he was “cautiously optimistic,” at risk of angering the Greek gods, who viewed hubris as humanity’s greatest sin. The gods appear to be smiling on the college, but on Wednesday, he was still “cautiously optimistic.”

Keegan said there’s no one reason for this “sustained momentum.” It’s a combination of efforts by faculty and staff recruiting and presenting attractive courses, the college introducing new programs and offering scholarships, Franklin and Essex counties supporting budget increases, the state introducing new programs and philanthropists supporting things like textbook funds.

Their goal is making college more affordable, meaningful and easy to attend.

NCCC Communications Director Chris Knight said the spring-start hybrid nursing program has been big for the college. It allows licensed practical nurses to prepare for their registered nurse board certification exam while continuing to work as an LPN.

Knight said the addiction counseling program is up 70 students and the new cybersecurity program is up 10.

The practical nursing, early childhood education, health sciences, sports and events management and digital arts and design programs all have increased enrollment, too.

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Local, state, federal funding

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The state’s new SUNY Reconnect program — which offers free tuition to community colleges to New Yorkers aged 25 to 55 who do not have degrees but are seeking ones in “high-need” fields — is getting a lot of use.

The college has more than 250 SUNY Reconnect students in programs such as nursing, cybersecurity, renewable energy or addiction counseling.

Keegan said it’s likely some of them would not have come otherwise. Knight said it also supports students who were already enrolled, making them not need to take out large student loans. He said the college saw high online traffic when the program came out, indicating lots of interest in it.

The state has put several million dollars into this in its budget this spring. If students have gaps in covering tuition after their TAP and Pell grants, the state will fund the rest.

If the program is seen as successful, the state may expand it in the future.

“The need is there,” Keegan said.

For the second year in a row, the NCCC board approved a 2% tuition rate increase. After a four-year tuition freeze starting in the coronavirus pandemic, the board increased student tuition by 2% last year, citing rising costs.

This sets the tuition rate for a full-time, in-state student at $2,760 per semester, and the rate for a full-time out-of-state student at $4,128 per semester.

Keegan said NCCC has done “significant work” at decreasing its annual budget deficit. The college is going into this year with a $130,000 deficit projected, which is offset by the college pulling from its healthy reserves. The deficit was as high as $1.2 million in the 2022-23 school year.

For three years in a row, the college’s sponsoring counties agreed to increase NCCC’s operating budget and Keegan said he’s grateful for them doing so.

Earlier this month, Franklin and Essex counties approved NCCC’s $16.5 million budget for the next year, including a one-time $100,000 increase to county funding.

To read more about the budget, go to tinyurl.com/bdwsxtkr.

As things change on the federal level, Keegan said things have been stable so far for NCCC. Most federal dollars go to students in the form of Pell grants, and those have not been touched yet.

House Republicans have proposed a Pell reduction, but Keegan said he hopes the program is maintained, since it has a direct impact on students and is an investment in workforce development.

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The Dream

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NCCC recently became a member of the Achieving the Dream network, a national, nonprofit educational reform network which analyzes data from the college, finds shortfalls in the pipeline and offers solutions to fix them.

Keegan said he hopes to increase enrollment, retention and graduation rates through this.

AtD will collect data throughout the year. At the end of the year, NCCC will start making an improvement plan.

NCCC’s athletic department’s alumni weekend is coming up Sept. 12 to 14. There will be a Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Friday night, men’s and women’s soccer games, a cocktail hour and gathering at Mount Pisgah and alumni soccer and basketball contests.

The college will also hold its Community Leaders Day at its Saranac Lake campus on Oct. 7 to thank its elected officials, business leaders and local partners for their support.